Government introduces immigration laws exempting some travelers from acquiring eTAs

CS Kipchumba Murkomen during the signing of Bilateral Air Services Agreement with Somalia Counterpart Fardowsa Osman Egal at TransCom office in Nairobi on August 9, 2023. [Boniface Okendo, Standard]

The Government has introduced new immigration rules exempting certain categories of travelers from the requirement to obtain an electronic Travel Authorisation (eTA) before entering the country.

Among those exempted are citizens of the East African Community (EAC), who will now be allowed to enter Kenya visa-free for a period not exceeding 180 days.

They include nationals of Burundi, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Rwanda, South Sudan, Tanzania, and Uganda.

The changes, which took effect on May 30, are part of the Kenya Citizenship and Immigration (Amendment) Regulations, 2025, published under Legal Notice No 93.

According to the newly inserted Regulation 15G, "The category of persons set out in the Seventeenth Schedule are exempted from the requirement of obtaining eTA before travelling into the country."

Others listed as persons who no longer need to acquire an eTA include holders of valid work permits, permanent residence, and re-entry passes; nationals from select African and Caribbean countries for limited stays; diplomatic and official passport holders from countries such as Iran, Turkey, Brazil, India, and China; as well as officials from key international organisations.

"Nationals of the following Countries for a period not exceeding ninety (90) days - Barbados, Belize, Botswana, Brunei, Cyrus, Dominica, Eritrea, Eswatini, Ethiopia, Fiji Island, Gambia, Ghana, Grenada, Guyana, Jamaica, Kiribati, Lesotho, Malaysia, Maldives, Malawi, Mauritius, Mozambique, Namibia, Nauru, Papua New Guinea," read the notice.

"Nationals of the following African countries for a period not exceeding sixty (60) daysAlgeria, Angola, Benin, Burkina Faso, Cape Verde, Cameroon, Central African Republic, Chad, Cote d'Ivoire, Djibouti, Egypt, Equatorial Guinea, Gabon, Guinea, Guinea Bissau, Liberia, Madagascar, Mali, Mauritania, Morocco, Niger, Nigeria, Sao Tome and Principe, Senegal, Seychelles, Sudan, Togo and Tunisia."

The amendment also provides exemptions for travelers in transit, ship and airline crew members, and those holding laissez-passers from entities such as the United Nations, African Union, World Bank, IMF, COMESA, IGAD, and other regional and international bodies.

According to Interior Cabinet Secretary Kipchumba Murkomen, the regulation aims to streamline entry processes and honor bilateral and multilateral agreements while upholding Kenya's commitment to regional integration and global cooperation.